MILK RECORDS 83 



importance. The highest degree of success cannot 

 be attained unless dairymen know accurately the 

 production of each individual cow. This is neces- 

 sary as a guide to rational treatment and to insure 

 the greatest profit. The record should include not 

 only the dairy performance, but a concise history 

 and description of each animal. The former re- 

 quires a daily record of the milk yield of every cow 

 and a fat test of several consecutive milkings, if ac- 

 curate records are to be secured. Samples for this 

 test may be mixed and this "composite sample" 

 tested, thus obtaining the average. The method is 

 easily learned and practiced. With the percentage 

 of fat taken periodically and a summary of the daily 

 yield of milk, the dairyman has a full record of every 

 cow in his herd. To give still more complete knowl- 

 edge there should also be a record, at least approxi- 

 mately accurate, showing the cost of the food con- 

 sumed by each cow, so that the economy of the pro- 

 duction may be shown. 



Records easily kept. — Records are far more easily 

 kept than are generally supposed, and the time and 

 cost of keeping them for each cow is so small as to 

 be only a trifle in comparison with their value. The 

 length of time required to weigh and sample the 

 milk will depend much upon the quickness of the 

 individual doing the work. Ordinarily, however, it 

 has been the author's experience that one-fourth 

 minute per cow at each milking, or one-half minute 

 per day, is sufficient to record the weights. When 

 samples are taken on two successive days in each 

 month, which is becoming a common practice, this 



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